Oppn sharpens claws for showdown

The red-hot VVIP chopper scam and other issues are likely to take a temporary backseat on Friday, as the Opposition is set to corner the government in Parliament over Thursday's terror blasts in Hyderabad.

The timing of the blast has been crucial. It came as Parliament opened for the budget session, barely a day after the home minister managed to buy a fragile peace with the BJP by expressing regret over his remarks on saffron terror.

The eye of the storm is likely to be Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde - who is expected to bear the brunt of the opposition attack.

Not only is the Opposition likely to seek a clarification about the incident from Shinde, but tough questions on intelligence failure are also on the cards. That the terror attack took place in a Congress-ruled state would hardly help.

BJP president Rajnath Singh has already said the government should take steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future.

CPM leader Sitaram Yechury, who is from Andhra Pradesh, also had a word of caution. "I personally know how sensitive the areas are," he said. "Instead of pointing fingers at any organisation in a hurry, the government should try to ensure a speedy probe."

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, meanwhile, has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the blasts and has appealed to the public to remain calm. He has also directed the central agencies to extend all possible help to the state authorities in relief operations. Congress president Sonia Gandhi, too, has expressed anguish over the incident.